by Lori Wilde
“Are you sure? I could call 911.”
“Don’t you dare, you nosy twit!” he snarled.
July straightened and took a step back. “I’m sorry to upset you. I just wanted to make sure you were all right.”
“Well, who asked ya?” Stravanos winced and fingered the back of his head.
“At least let me help you with your stuff.” July bent over the cardboard box.
Get away from him, July, Tucker silently urged.
“No.” Leo Stravanos scrambled to his feet, chest puffing, nose flaring like an angry bull. “Don’t touch!”
Clutching her hands to her chest, July backed up. “What do you have in there?”
Tucker winced. July had seen inside that box. He could tell by the way her mouth formed a startled O, and her eyes widened. Go back upstairs, he mentally urged her.
“None of your damned business, girlie,” Stravanos snarled. “Scram.”
“There’s no reason to get hostile,” she said. “I was only trying to help.”
“Well, don’t.” Stravanos glared down at her.
July bristled and squared her shoulders. She looked like a miniature David aiming her slingshot at a mean-tempered Goliath. “Did anyone ever tell you that you’re a very rude man?”
“Yeah. Now beat it.”
“I’d bet anything that somewhere deep down inside, you’re an unhappy person,” she retaliated.
Tucker smacked his forehead with his open palm. How naive could one woman be and survive in this dog-eat-dog world?
“Guess what, Miss Goody Two-Shoes, you’re wrong. I’m deliriously happy,” Leo Stravanos replied.
“Then why are the frown lines on your forehead so deep?”
The hulking thief ran a palm over his brow. “What are you talking about?”
“Anger. It’s killing you.”
“What’s your problem, lady? Running around pestering people? You some kind of kooky psychologist?”
Tucker’s heart plummeted to his feet. Easing forward, he clutched his fists and held his breath.
“Ouch! You’re hurting me!” July protested.
“Then quit sticking your nose in other people’s business. Got that?” Stravanos leaned down and thrust his ugly mug squarely in her face.
What should he do? Tucker watched the scene play out, terror squeezing his gut. He saw a shiver run over July’s body, felt a corresponding tremor drive through him. Tucker couldn’t keep standing here, doing nothing.
Tucker drew a deep breath and stepped around the side of the building but kept to the shadows.
“Listen, mister, I’m sorry I disturbed you.” July started inching away from Stravanos, fear etched on her features.
Stravanos glowered. “You’re skating on thin ice. I’d watch my step if I were you.”
To Tucker’s utter relief, she turned and fled, her footsteps leaving indentions in the snow. Her apartment door slammed closed.
Tucker exhaled and realized he’d been holding his breath. His pulse was thudding hard and fast as he pressed his back into the building.
July had been lucky. As far as he knew, Leo had never killed anyone, but the man had a violent history, and things could quickly escalate into the unthinkable. The idea of anything happening to July sickened his stomach.
Returning his attention to Leo Stravanos, he watched while the big man bent over and retrieved the cardboard box and the items scattered on the ground.
The door to the Stravanos apartment opened and the younger brother, Mikos, appeared. He yawned widely and scratched his crotch. “What’s goin’ on out here?”
“I slipped in the snow, you idiot,” Leo growled. “And that nosy little chit in the apartment across the way came over to help, and she saw the box.”
“So?” Mikos shrugged.
“So, the box split open. Some stuff fell out. She might get suspicious and call the cops.”
“And say what? There’s a guy with a box who busted his ass in the snow?”
“A box filled with counterfeit passports and driver’s licenses, idiot.” Mikos snorted.
“Why don’t you tell the whole world about it?” Leo craned his neck.
Tucker dove behind a bush.
Leo scowled in his direction.
Tucker gulped.
“Did she see what fell on the ground?” Mikos asked.
“I don’t know.” Leo cast a glance at July’s apartment.
“Even if she did, it’s no big deal. This will all be over tomorrow when the boss gets here.”
“Not if this storm keeps up. I barely made it here. I even slid the car in a ditch but managed to get out.” Leo struggled to hold the box aloft. “That’s why I’m late.”
“You want me to go scare her?” Mikos cracked his knuckles. “Make sure she keeps her nose to herself?”
“Not yet. I think I frightened her pretty good. But we’ve definitely got to keep an eye on her.”
The brothers disappeared into their apartment, leaving Tucker hiding behind the hedge, alone in the cold once more. The wind whistled around the building, and fresh snow pelted him. His nose was as numb as his toes.
Tucker was unsure of his next move, but one thing was certain; there was no way he could leave July unprotected. He had to go get his gun and then get back into that apartment.
July’s teeth chattered, and her body trembled. She sat on the couch drinking a cup of hot tea. She’d slipped out of her nightgown and back into the sweats she’d worn while trimming Tucker’s hair. She’d cranked the heater up full blast, but she was still quivering.
Her encounter with her unsavory neighbor left her chilled to the bone. The vicious look in the big man’s eyes had terrified her.
She had the strangest feeling the Stravanos brothers were involved in something illegal. For the quickest of seconds, she’d gotten a glimpse at the contents of that white box that had fallen onto the sidewalk. And she’d seen a plethora of passports and driver’s licenses. Hundreds of them wrapped in batches with rubber bands.
Should she call the cops?
And say what? Her neighbors across the way had a lot of passports and driver’s licenses?
July nibbled her bottom lip. Memories of the bad times with her mother flashed through her mind. The hot checks, the shoplifting, the charges of DUI. The police would detain her mother, but Dad’s lawyers would show up, and they’d let her go.
If she reported the brothers and a lawyer showed up—and they looked the type to have lawyers on retainer—they’d get out and come right back here to confront the person who turned them in.
Her.
Shivering, July took another sip of her tea now gone tepid. Leo Stravanos was right. She should mind her own business. How often had her meddlesome tendencies led her into trouble? Wasn’t it about time she learned her lesson?
She gulped and tucked the afghan around her shoulders. It still smelled of Tucker’s masculine scent entwined within the fibers. How she wished he was here so that she could discuss this problem with him. He was streetwise. He’d know what to do.
“Oh, Tucker.” She sighed. Try as she might, there was no denying the sparks they’d stirred up with that kiss. “I messed everything up.”
A sudden knock rapped at her front door.
She jumped.
Terror gripped her by the throat, and she wheezed in a strangled breath. What if it was that man from across the courtyard? She sat frozen on the couch, waiting.
The knock came again, softer this time.
It had to be her angry neighbor. Who else would be pounding on her door at four o’clock in the morning? No way was she answering it.
What if it’s Edna?
Yes, what if it was her elderly neighbor, sick and needing July’s help? That thought was the only thing that propelled her off the couch. Her heart thudded against her rib cage as she walked with hesitant, faltering steps toward the door.
A third knock. Bam, bam, bam.
Standing on tiptoe, she flipped on t
he porch light and peered through the peephole. Tucker waited on the landing, hands in his pockets, head down, her thermal blanket draped across his shoulders.
Relief flooded her. Fumbling with the lock, she threw wide the door.
Tucker’s head came up, and his dark-brown eyes drilled a hole straight through her. “Hi.”
“Hi.” She couldn’t stop grinning. He’d returned.
“I saw your light was on,” he said.
“Yes.”
“I was worried about you. Thought maybe you couldn’t sleep.”
“I was having hot tea.” July’s eyes searched Tucker’s face.
“Can I come in? It’s freezing out here.”
“Of course.” July stood aside. She closed the door behind him and slid the deadbolt into place.
Tucker’s hands were pale, and his lips were slightly blue.
“Sit down,” she insisted, ushering him over to the couch. “And take those boots off. I know your toes are frozen. I’ll be right back with a hot water bottle and hot tea unless you prefer coffee.”
“Coffee.” Tucker sat and rubbed his hands together. July darted into the kitchen and quelled the happy dance she wanted to do.
Tucker’s back! Tucker’s back! Tucker’s back!
The thought strummed through her mind, a joyous litany, as she put grounds in the coffeemaker.
Calm down. You’re too happy about this.
She tried to tell herself she was excited about his return only because she’d been so worried about him being out in the freezing weather, but it simply wasn’t true. The minute she’d seen him standing at the door, her spirits had soared.
Him being here comforted her. Now she wasn’t so scared of the Stravanos brothers.
She filled the hot water bottle she kept stored under the kitchen sink, then turned her attention to coffee. She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and popped back into the living room with the supplies.
“Here you go. Let’s get you warmed up.” She handed Tucker the coffee mug and then knelt to tuck the hot water bottle underneath his feet. His socks were damp. She started to peel one off.
He moved his feet away from her. “Look, I can take off my own socks.”
“Be my guest.”
He took off his socks and rolled them into a ball.
“Are your toes numb?” she asked, repositioning the hot water bottle.
“A little.”
She shook her head. “Boy, are you stubborn. I asked you not to leave the apartment in this weather.”
“You don’t have to go to such trouble for me.” Tucker’s voice sounded thick, clogged. He looked uneasy.
“Pish. No trouble at all.” Vigorously she rubbed his toes, first one foot then the other.
“Please, July, don’t do that.” This time his voice was sharp, commanding.
She dropped his foot and rocked back on her heels.
A dark fire flickered in his eyes.
“What did I do wrong?”
“Let’s just say your touch does certain things to me.” He crossed his legs.
“Oh…oh!” Her eyes widened.
July willed herself not to blush. Yes, he was honest about his physical desire for her. He didn’t lie. But he also didn’t make promises. A proud man like Tucker didn’t make promises he could not keep.
Getting to her feet, July dropped her gaze. She picked up her own half-full mug of tea and moved over to the rocking chair. The silence stretched long.
“I’m glad you came back,” she said at last.
“Are you?” Tucker raised an eyebrow.
“I was worried.”
“Why?” Tucker’s fingers tightened around the mug’s handle.
“Haven’t you figured out by now that I truly care about what happens to you, Tucker?”
“Why?”
“Because I truly like you.”
9
Her declaration drove a spike clean through his heart.
No one had ever truly cared about Tucker Haynes. Not his mother, nor his father, nor any of his other relatives. Well, perhaps Karen had cared but not enough to fight for him.
But July cared. He didn’t doubt her sincerity for a moment.
The concerned expression on her face, the tender way she’d warmed his cold toes, the kindness she repeatedly showed him told Tucker all he needed to know.
If he allowed it, July could easily get under his skin. Because he liked her too. A whole helluva lot.
“Yeah, well, don’t get too close to the flame, July, or you just might get singed,” he warned.
She pressed her lips together. He saw tears mist her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. “I don’t want anything from you, Tucker, except to help.”
“You’ve done more than enough.” He purposefully made his tone gruff. He couldn’t stand it if the woman fell for him. “I do appreciate you letting me stay here during the storm. Especially after what happened earlier.”
“I’m glad you came back.” She nodded.
He loved the way her curls bounced when she bobbed her head. He loved the way she smelled so wholesome. He loved how her eyes glowed like precious emeralds. Hell, he might as well admit it. He loved pretty much everything about her.
For the love of Pete, Haynes. You came back to protect her from the Stravanos brothers, not return to the mess that made you leave the first time around.
Tucker sipped his coffee and tried his best not to romanticize the moment. The two of them talking, sharing the wee hours of the morning together while snow fell outside the window.
He shifted on the couch. Should he tell her about the Stravanos brothers? Did he dare reveal his true identity? What would she think of him then? Would she be so eager to help? Would she be angry at him for his deception?
July lowered her eyelashes and yawned. The picture tugged at his heart. She was so sweet, so
innocent, he hated to sully her purity with the reality of his dark world. He hated the thought of rupturing her naiveté and her belief in the goodness of mankind.
No.
He’d watch out for her and let her think of him what she would. There was no place in her rosy-hued life for a world-weary cynic like him.
“Tucker,” she murmured.
The sound of her voice skipped over him, light and lyrical. He imagined that voice calling to him in the bedroom. Whispering his name.
Stop it, Haynes. Right now! You’re headed for trouble, big-time.
“Yes, July.”
“I need to ask you something.”
His ears pricked up. “What is it?”
She raised her head, met his gaze briefly, then glanced away again. “I need your advice.”
“Okay.”
He wondered if she was going to tell him about her run-in with Leo Stravanos. Tucker set his mug on the coffee table and leaned forward. He longed to take her into his arms. To run his fingers through those soft curls. To taste her honeyed lips again.
Instead, he waited.
She moistened her lips. “What would you do if you suspected someone of criminal activity?”
Tucker stroked his jaw with a thumb and forefinger. He was about to tell her another lie and that stung. He hated lying to her, but he had to keep her as far away from the Stravanos brothers as he could. He’d dragged her along this far; she didn’t need to get any more involved than she already was.
“I would mind my own business.”
July nodded as if she’d expected such an answer.
“Why? What’s the matter?” Tucker held his breath and waited for her to confide in him. “Is there something you want to tell me?”
“No.” She shrugged.
He sat perched on the edge of the couch and watched an array of emotions play across her lovely face. He longed for her to tell him about her encounter with Leo Stravanos. The idea of her running to him for support stroked Tucker’s ego.
“Not now.” She yawned and got to her feet. “I’m exhausted, and it’s going to be he
ck getting to work in the morning in the snow. If I go to bed now, maybe I can get a couple of hours of sleep.”
“I predict you won’t be going to work,” Tucker replied. “Look.”
They both stared out the window at the thick coating of snow falling fast against the window. Cold air rattled the pane.
The thought of being snowed in with July Johnson sent quivers leaping through his stomach. The two of them, in close quarters, unable to leave the apartment. What if they accidentally bumped into each other?
What if that contact dissolved into another kiss?
What if the kiss turned into something more?
The image of them lying unclothed, wrapped in each other’s arms, played out in his brain.
Knock it off, now! But the part of him that was all male roused against his zipper.
Lord above, he was caught in the crossfire with no decent alternative. If he left July’s apartment, he’d worry about her safety, but if he stayed, it was his own sanity he feared.
Because no matter how much he might like July, any relationship between them beyond this assignment was absolutely impossible.
“We’re urging everyone to stay indoors,” the TV news anchor announced. “Do not drive in this record-breaking winter storm unless you have absolutely no other choice. Stay tuned for a listing of school and business closings.”
From her bed, July picked up the remote and turned up the volume. Tucking the fluffy comforter around her chin, she curled her toes inside her warm woolen socks.
The weatherman rattled off the listings as they scrolled across the screen. Sure enough, July’s office was closed for the day. Suddenly, she felt like a kid given a reprieve from school by Mother Nature.
Smiling, she stretched her arms over her head and recalled the night just past. She thought of Tucker lying on her couch, and her heart caught like a piece of paper on a barbed-wire fence.
What was this crazy sensation that quickened the blood flow through her veins every time he popped into her head—which was happening more and more frequently?
July pushed a strand of hair from her eyes. What was even clearer was that she hadn’t been able to tell him about her own needs. Last night, after her encounter with Leo Stravanos, she’d wanted to ask for his help, but she’d been unable to tell him. She was accustomed to being strong and in control. The one who solved other people’s problems and met their needs. Not the other way around.